Slotted Mattress Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A slotted mattress apparatus for improved foot comfort for stomach sleepers includes a mattress body including a mattress top side, a mattress bottom side, a mattress left side, a mattress right side, a mattress head side, and a mattress foot side. The mattress body comprises a foot slot extending from the mattress top side towards the mattress bottom side to receive a user&#39;s feet. A slot insert is selectively engageable within the foot slot. The slot insert conforms to the foot slot and has an insert top side lying coplanar with the mattress top side when engaged.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to mattresses and more particularly pertains to a new mattress for improved foot comfort for stomach sleepers.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to mattresses with unique geometries for improved sleep comfort. Existing devices include recessions and depressed areas for user's heads, arms, and feet. Such devices typically employ a permanent geometry that is fixed and often asymmetrical, preventing the user from rotating the mattress to improve longevity. Known devices also do not give the user the ability to convert the geometry to resemble a traditional mattress, or to be altered only on one side for partners with different preferences.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a mattress body including a mattress top side, a mattress bottom side, a mattress left side, a mattress right side, a mattress head side, and a mattress foot side. The mattress body comprises a foot slot extending from the mattress top side towards the mattress bottom side and configured to receive a user's feet. A slot insert is selectively engageable within the foot slot. The slot insert conforms to the foot slot and has an insert top side lying coplanar with the mattress top side when engaged.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a slotted mattress apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new mattress embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the slotted mattress apparatus 10 generally comprises a mattress body 12 including a mattress top side 14, a mattress bottom side 16, a mattress left side 18, a mattress right side 20, a mattress head side 22, and a mattress foot side 24. The mattress body 12 comprises at least one foot slot 26 extending from the mattress top side 14 towards the mattress bottom side 16 and configured to receive a user's feet. There may be a pair of foot slots 26 including a first foot slot 28 and a second foot slot 30 proximal the mattress foot side 24 and the mattress head side 22, respectively. The user may thus rotate the mattress body 12 as desired for more even wear over time while still utilizing a foot slot 26. Each foot slot 26 may be rectangular and may extend from the mattress left side 18 through the mattress right side 20. Each foot slot 26 may have a slot depth 29 equal to 60% to 80% of a mattress depth 31 between the mattress top side 14 and the mattress bottom side 16. Each foot slot 26 may have a slot width 33 of at least two inches.

A plurality of slot inserts 32 is selectively engageable within the foot slots 26. Each slot insert 32 conforms to the slot width 33 and the slot depth 29 of the respective foot slot 26 and has an insert top side 34 lying coplanar with the mattress top side 14 when engaged. Each slot insert 32 may extend from the mattress left side 18 to the mattress right side 20. Alternatively, each slot insert 32 may comprise a left insert half 36 and a right insert half 38. The left insert half 36 and the right insert half 38 are independently engageable within the respective foot slot 26 to fill a left portion 40 and a right portion 42 of the foot slot, respectively. Each user of the mattress body 12 may thus decide whether or not to utilize the foot slot 26 regardless of his or her partner's preference.

The apparatus 10 may include a shaped fitted bedsheet dimensioned to match the contours of the foot slots 26. Each slot insert 32 may have a removable insert case matching the shaped fitted bedsheet.

In use, the users remove the slot inserts 32 from the first foot slot 28 as desired. They may then use the apparatus 10 as a traditional mattress or with their feet placed into the foot slots 26 when the slot inserts 32 are removed. Stomach sleepers thus no longer need to curl their toes or rotate their feet to sleep comfortably. When desired, the mattress body 12 may be rotated and the slot inserts 32 are replaced into the first foot slot 28 and removed from the second foot slot 30, which is now oriented closest to their feet.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A slotted mattress apparatus comprising: a mattress body including a mattress top side, a mattress bottom side, a mattress left side, a mattress right side, a mattress head side, and a mattress foot side, the mattress body comprising a foot slot extending from the mattress top side towards the mattress bottom side and configured to receive a user's feet; and a slot insert being selectively engageable within the foot slot, the slot insert conforming to the foot slot and having an insert top side lying coplanar with the mattress top side when engaged.
 2. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the slot insert comprising a left insert half and a right insert half, the left insert half and the right insert half being independently engageable within the foot slot to fill a left portion and a right portion of the foot slot, respectively.
 3. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the foot slot being rectangular and extending from the mattress left side through the mattress right side.
 4. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the foot slot having a slot depth equal to 60% to 80% of a mattress depth between the mattress top side and the mattress bottom side.
 5. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the foot slot having a slot width of at least two inches.
 6. A slotted mattress apparatus comprising: a mattress body including a mattress top side, a mattress bottom side, a mattress left side, a mattress right side, a mattress head side, and a mattress foot side, the mattress body comprising a foot slot extending from the mattress top side towards the mattress bottom side and configured to receive a user's feet, the foot slot being rectangular and extending from the mattress left side through the mattress right side, the foot slot having a slot depth equal to 60% to 80% of a mattress depth between the mattress top side and the mattress bottom side; and a slot insert being selectively engageable within the foot slot, the slot insert conforming to the foot slot and having an insert top side lying coplanar with the mattress top side when engaged, the slot insert comprising a left insert half and a right insert half, the left insert half and the right insert half being independently engageable within the foot slot to fill a left portion and a right portion of the foot slot, respectively.
 7. A slotted mattress apparatus comprising: a mattress body including a mattress top side, a mattress bottom side, a mattress left side, a mattress right side, a mattress head side, and a mattress foot side, the mattress body comprising a pair of foot slots including a first foot slot and a second foot slot proximal the mattress foot side and the mattress head side, respectively, each foot slot extending from the mattress top side towards the mattress bottom side and configured to receive a user's feet; and a plurality of slot inserts being selectively engageable within the pair of foot slots, each slot insert conforming to the respective foot slot and having an insert top side lying coplanar with the mattress top side when engaged.
 8. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 7 further comprising each slot insert comprising a left insert half and a right insert half, the left insert half and the right insert half being independently engageable within the respective foot slot to fill a left portion and a right portion of the foot slot, respectively.
 9. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 7 further comprising each foot slot being rectangular and extending from the mattress left side through the mattress right side.
 10. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 7 further comprising each foot slot having a slot depth equal to 60% to 80% of a mattress depth between the mattress top side and the mattress bottom side.
 11. The slotted mattress apparatus of claim 7 further comprising the foot slot having a slot width of at least two inches. 